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haustorium

[haw-stawr-ee-uh m, -stohr-]

noun, plural haus·to·ri·a [haw-stawr-ee-uh, -stohr-] /hɔˈstɔr i ə, -ˈstoʊr-/.

a projection from the hypha of a fungus into the organic matter from which it absorbs nutrients.
the penetrating feeding organ of certain parasites.

Nearby words

  1. haust.,
  2. haustella,
  3. haustellate,
  4. haustellum,
  5. haustoria,
  6. haustration,
  7. haustrum,
  8. haut,
  9. haut cuisine,
  10. haut monde

Origin of haustorium

1870–75; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin haus- (variant stem of haurīre to draw, scoop up) + -tōrium -tory2
Related formshaus·to·ri·al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for haustorium

haustorium

noun plural -ria (-rɪə)

the organ of a parasitic plant that penetrates the host tissues and absorbs food and water from them
Derived Formshaustorial, adjective

Word Origin for haustorium

C19: from New Latin, from Late Latin haustor a water-drawer; see haustellum
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Science definitions for haustorium

haustorium

[hô-stôr′ē-əm]

Plural haustoria

A specialized absorbing structure of a parasitic fungus or plant, such as the rootlike outgrowth of the dodder, that obtains food from a host plant. In parasitic fungi, haustoria are specialized hyphae that penetrate the cells of other organisms and absorb nutrients directly from them.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.